• Mr. Mickelson Comes to Washington
• NSTA Partners with Discovery Communications and Siemens Foundation for K–12 Sustainability Competition
• Member Feedback Sought on e-Learning Position Statement
• Comments on NOAA's Draft Education Strategic Plan 2008 Are Now Being Accepted
• Shape Your Success at NSTA's Charlotte Conference
• Team USA Brings Home Four Gold Medals from the International Biology Olympiad

Mr. Mickelson Comes to Washington

After spending the morning putting with Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and students last week, professional golfer Phil Mickelson headlined a prestigious group of witnesses—including Dr. Sally Ride, the first woman in space—called to testify before the full House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee on the subject "Innovation in Education through Business and Education STEM Partnerships.”

Mickelson was in Washington, DC promoting science and math education and the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teacher Academy, the annual professional development summer opportunity for teachers of grades 3–5 administered by NSTA.

• Read the USA Today article
• View a webcast of the Congressional hearing and read testimony
• Read the Department of Education press release
• Learn more about the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teacher Academy

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NSTA, the Siemens Foundation, and Discovery Communications announced today the launch of a new sustainability education competition that will allow students to develop innovative green solutions for their schools, homes and communities.

The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge will launch later this fall with a national middle school competition where teams of students will identify, research and recommend a solution to an environmental problem in their community. The competition will expand to kindergarten and elementary students in 2009 and to high school students in 2010.

• Read more about the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge

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In a newly revised position statement on e-Learning, NSTA states its support and encouragement for the use of e-Learning experiences for both preK–16 science students, as well as for science educators engaging in professional development. The statement asserts that “e-Learning is an increasingly prevalent, viable, and fully recognized method for teaching and learning science.” NSTA supports e-learning as a promising way to accomplish many challenging tasks in science teaching and learning, such as meeting the needs of students who have learning styles conducive to and preferences for learning and interacting in an online environment, and reducing the isolation of science educators by providing and expanding access to colleagues and experts.

A panel of science educators and experts in the e-Learning arena developed the statement and the NSTA Board now seeks input from members. We encourage you to review the new draft statement and tell us what you think. To view and comment, go to the NSTA Discussion Board and click on Post Reply. (Note: You must register to use the NSTA Discussion Board before posting comments.) Comments must be received by Friday, August 1.

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Comments on NOAA's Draft Education Strategic Plan 2008 Are Now Being Accepted

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is revising its Education Strategic Plan. NOAA recently received broad legislative authority from Congress through the America COMPETES Act to develop, support, promote, and coordinate education activities to enhance public awareness and understanding of the ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science. The draft plan establishes the goals for NOAA education for the next twenty years as specified by the America COMPETES Act. NOAA encourages all stakeholders and users to review the plan and provide comments. If you would like to provide comments on NOAA’s Draft Education Strategic Plan 2008, please visit the NOAA website for further information.

• NOAA's Draft Education Strategic Plan 2008 (PDF)

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Shape Your Success at NSTA's Charlotte Conference

Shape Your Success as a Science Educator at NSTA’s Charlotte Area Conference on Science Education, Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Register by September 19 at the most affordable rates! New to the profession? We offer a wide range of workshops, sessions, and special events customized for preservice and new teachers. Get the skills you need at sessions developed exclusively for you.

Consider these options:

• Join us for our Preservice and New Teachers Luncheon, a lively and interactive function where you’ll learn about NSTA’s professional development resources at your fingertips. Our workshops, institutes, and symposia help you improve your content knowledge, tackle new strategies in assessment, and build confidence to teach English language learners. Enjoy a complete lunch while networking with other teachers new to the profession.
• Attend Student Teacher Preparation Needs in Science Safety to hear the latest is science safety standards prior to working in a science classroom/laboratory.
• All teachers need to hear the presentation Aligning Content with Standards and Assessment to meet national standards and assessment requirements.
• Sign up for a field trip to Charlotte’s Reed Gold Mine. Hike the trails, tour the original stamp mill, and pan for gold on this informative and interesting offsite event.

Framingham State University is offering one graduate credit for twelve hours of program attendance. Build your credentials today!

Visit www.nsta.org/charlotte for more details or to register.

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Team USA Brings Home Four Gold Medals from the International Biology Olympiad

The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is proud to announce that Team USA has garnered four gold medals at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) held in Mumbai, India. For the second year in a row, the U.S. team received world recognition.

This is the youngest team, with three juniors and one sophomore, in the history of the USA’s participation in the IBO. Team USA 2008 has once again established that our nation is home to some of the best and brightest students the world has to offer in the field of biology. In fact, every team member has medaled in the international competition since 2003, bringing home sixteen gold, six silver, and two bronze medals.

• Read the CEE’s press release (PDF)

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And Don’t Forget…

Visit our member services web page to ensure that NSTA has your current contact information.

Visit the NSTA Science Store for an outstanding array of bestselling books and teaching resources. Receive 30% off of the July featured book, The Truth About Science: A Curriculum for Developing Young Scientists.